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JAMAICA Cancels

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Stamps of Great Britain, used in Jamaica:

('A49' and 'A01' : Kingston)

The numeral cancels 'A01' and 'A27' to 'A78' can be found on stamps of Great Britain.

Don't confuse the town Kingston-on-Thames with Kingston, Jamaica!

Forged Jamaica cancels exist on stamps of Great Britain, examples:

(A forged 'A33' cancel with a genuine 'A33' besides it and a forged 'A46' cancel with a genuine 'A46' cancel to the right of it)

Typical cancellations:

('A72', reduced size)

('622' numeral cancel)

Numeral cancels and corresponding towns:

A01: Kingston
A27 : Alexandria
A28 : Annotto Bay
A29 : Bath Surrey
A30 : Black River
A31 : Brown's Town
A32 : Buff Bay
A33 : Chapleton
A34 : Claremont(?)
A35 : Clarendon
A36 : Dry Harbour
A37 : Duncans
A38 : Ewarton
A39 : Falmouth
A40 : Flint River
A41 : Gayle
A42 : Golden Spring
A43 : Gorden Town
A44 : Goshen
A45 : Grange Hill
A46 : Green Island
A47 : Highgate
A48 : Hope Bay
A49 : Lilliput
A50 : Little River (Malvern in 1862?)
A51 : Lucea
A52 : Manchioneal
A53 : Mandeville
A54 : May Hill
A55 : Mile Gully
A56 : Moneague
A57 : Montego Bay
A58 : Bluefields
A59 : Morant Bay
A60 : Ocho Rios
A61 : Old Harbour
A62 : Plantain Garden River
A63 : Pear Tree Grove
A64 : Lacovia
A65 : Port Morant
A66 : Port Maria
A67 : Port Royal
A68 : Porus
A69 : Ramble
A70 : Rio Bueno
A71 : Unstead (renamed Rodney Hall)
A72 : St. David
A73 : St.Ann's Bay
A74 : Salt Gut
A75 : Savanna La Mar
A76 : Spanish Town
A77 : Stewart Town
A78 : Vere (renamed Alley)
A79 : Balaclava, Richmond
A80 : Hagley Gap
A81 : Pedro
A82 : Middle Quarters
A83 : Trinityville
E06 : Newmarket
E30 : Lacovia
E58: Little River
F80 : Little London
F81 : Clark's Town
F95 : Watson's Hill
F96 : Shooter's Hill
F97 : Copse
F98 : Chester Castle
G13 : Half Way Tree
G14 : Hampden
G15 : Blue Mountain Valley
G16 : Priestman's River
193 : Cold Spring
196 : Ewarton
199 : Guys Hill
201 : Milk River
615 : Bull Bay
617 : Hayes
622 : Kings
631 : Maidstone
640 : ?
642 : Petersfield
647 : Southfield

Temporary postmarks: letter framed in barred oval:
'A': Milk River
'B': Duncans
'C': unknown where this cancel was used
'D': unknown where this cancel was used
'E': unknown where this cancel was used

I have seen stamps with forged cancels, for example a forged 'A88' mailboat cancel on a genuine 4 p stamp.

'Normal' cancels were also used in Jamaica:

Much more on cancels of Jamaica can be found on: http://www.pbbooks.com/cr71.htm.

Stamps of Jamaica, used in the Cayman Islands:

'GRAND CAYMAN POST OFFICE' in an ellipse on 4 p stamp of Jamaica. I've also seen this cancel on the 1/2 p green stamp of the same set and the 1 p and 2 p of the 1889 set.

'GRAND CAYMAN CAYMAN ISLAND' in a double circle

'CAYMAN BRAC CAYMAN ISLANDS' in a rectangle and in a double circle

Telegraph stamps

1879 Telegraph stamps

  3 p violet
  1 Sh brown

These stamps were issued with watermark 'CC Crown' or 'CA Crown' (3 p only),

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

There exist some telegraph stamps with faked postal cancels (sorry, no picture available yet).

Official stamps

1890 Postage stamps overprinted 'OFFICIAL'

  1/2 p green (thin letters)
  1/2 p green (fat letters)
  1 p red
  2 p grey

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I have seen forged overprints with the thin letters on 1/2 p stamps. The lettering was very irregular. Forged inverted overprints also exist (again on the 1/2 p thin letter overprint).

Other forged overprints of the thin letter overprint have the 'C' of 'OFFICIAL' wrong, I have only seen them with the cancel 'HALF-WAY TREE'.

Fiscal stamps

1855 Arms (customs revenue)

  1 1/2 p blue
  3 p violet

The 1 1/2 p only exists with no watermark, the 3 p exists with no watermark and with watermark 'CC Crown' (1874). Both stamps were issued imperforated in 1855 and with perforation in 1857.

These stamps seem to have been used for postal puposes, but are quite rare. Forged cancels exist, this is done by chemically removing the fiscal cancel and then applying a forged postal cancel. I have seen a 3 p stamp with a forged '556' numeral cancel (belonging to Goldcoast!) and a another stamp with a forged 'B' cancel.

1858 Queen Victoria, large sized stamp, perforated

  1 Sh red
  5 Sh lilac
  10 Sh green

(Reduced size, this fiscal stamp has a forged postal 'A01' cancel applied to it)

1865 Queen Vitoria, inscription 'JAMAICA REVENUE', imperforated or perforated

  1 p red

Other fiscal labels:

(Reduced sizes)

Stamp with image of Queen Elizabeth; 1 Sh green and black with 'JUDICIAL' overprint

Postal Stationery

1877 Postcards, with a circular impression "JAMAICA 1877 PAID" and value (both in red)

With border consisting of crossed lines
  1/2 p 
  1 p 
  3 p

With border consisting of ornaments (as shown above)
  1/2 p 
  1 p
  3 p 

I've seen postal stationery in the design of the 1870 Queen Victoria stamps or similar designs: 1/2 p brown (design as stamp, but colour different), 1 p blue (as stamp), 1 1/2 p grey ("PENNY HALF PENNY", not issued as stamp), and "HALF-PENNY" surcharged in black on 1 p blue. A 3 p green should also exist, but I have not seen it myself. These were issued from 1877 onwards.

1 p blue, here with a border in the same color as the stamp.

Other examples:

1/2 p green cut with King Edward VII, reduced size

I've seen similar cuts with the portrait of Queen Victoria (also 1/2 p green).

King George V on a 1 p red stationery

Red Cross label

Plane, red cross and black inscription 'JAMAICA' (first world war):

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer